20th Inter-Academia Conference Celebrates Two Decades of International Academic Collaboration at Shizuoka University's Hamamatsu Campus

From 27th to 29th September 2023, Shizuoka University's Hamamatsu Campus hosted the 20th Inter-Academia International Conference, with partner universities in Central and Eastern Europe. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Inter-Academia's foundation in 2002, this year's conference was special as it signified the first in-person event in four years, following Covid related postponements and an online conference.

The conference was attended by 108 participants from 13 countries at the conference venue, complemented by 37 online participants from 9 different countries. Representing Shizuoka University were President Kazuyuki Hizume and Prof Kazuhiko Hara (Dean, Graduate School of Medical Photonics) along with turnout of 87 faculty members and graduate students.

At the opening ceremony, Shizuoka University, President Hizume, Prof Masakazu Hara (Dean, Graduate School of Science and Technology) and Prof Ryszard Jablonski (Warsaw University of Technology), a member of the executive committee made the opening remarks. This was followed by lectures from the five invited guest speakers, including talks by Prof Adam Wozniak (Warsaw University of Technology) and Prof Toru Aoki (Shizuoka University).

Over the course of three days, there were 47 general oral presentations (including 10 invited talks), 28 oral presentations by young researchers, mainly graduate students, and 34 poster presentations including short presentations. The Young Researcher Award was conferred to six winners from different countries.

At the closing ceremony, we handed over the baton of the host university to the Warsaw University of Technology (Poland), which will host the 21st conference next year (2024). The gala banquet on the concluding day was marked by a ceremony of appreciation. Prof Annamária R. Varkonyi-Koczy (Obuda University) , Prof Dumitru Luca (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University) and Prof Ryszard Jablonski (Warsaw University of Technology) were lauded for their two-decade-long commitment to Inter-Academia, receiving a special commemorative plaque.

We express our gratitude to the Suzuki Foundation for their support and their generous grant since the very inception of Inter-Academia, which has greatly aided in broadening the reach of our research outcomes.